Family Matters Inc

Family Matters is a youth development and community leadership non-profit organization based in the North of Howard community of Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood. Family Matters partners with youth, families, and communities to cultivate a way of living in the world that develops strong relationships, meaningful communication, and safe environments for courageous social change. We seek to build an equitable society for all.

Family Matters began as a single program born from the vision of working parents seeking a safe place for their children to go after school. Established as a grassroots effort by, and for, families in 1987, Family Matters has developed into a neighborhood anchor that offers a range of year-round, community-driven programs and activities. 

Today, Family Matters partners with more than 1,000 individuals annually, with approximately 130 involved in daily programming. Our three primary initiatives are Youth Development, including Project RISE, our teen job training/leadership development program and Partners in Learning tutor/mentoring; The Family Matters School, our cooperative microschool with a focus on providing cutting-edge experiential learning for children who have sensory issues and/or are surviving complex trauma; and Community Engagement, our activities for the larger community.